bouquets garnis

A cassoulet, which originated in the south of France, is a hearty cold-weather meal filled with meats and baked in a thick stew of beans and vegetables.  So why am I making a cassoulet when it is 109 degrees outside?  Answer – because I’m crazy, that’s why! Actually, along with the craziness, there is a practical reason.  I had just less than a pound of leftover lamb cut from a shank that I used for THIS RECIPE.  And I know, without a doubt, that if I tucked it into the freezer and waited till fall to make the cassoulet, it would be lost forever in the depths of my freezer and eventually thrown away.

Cassoulets generally take between 6  – 8 hours to prepare… plus the overnight soaking of the beans.  I’ve pared this down to about 3 hours and with only 1 hour of bean soaking time.  For that reason I am calling this a quick cassoulet, although 3 + 1 hours isn’t exactly quick, I know!  Bookmark this for winter and you’ll enjoy having the kitchen all warm and aromatic for that length of time, I promise. This recipe can be easily doubled or even tripled to serve a crowd.

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Don’t you just love that song?  “It’s Raining Men! Hallelujah! – It’s Raining Men! Amen! I’m gonna go out to run and let myself get Absolutely soaking wet!…”  Good song! But unfortunately, it wasn’t raining men over here at my house, it was raining figs.  My tree produces at least twice a year and it’s impossible for me to use them all, so the local birds feast well at the Hopkins’ house.

Three disclaimers for this post:

#1 – I didn’t use pork tenderloin. In its place – was a pork rib roast I had in my freezer.  But I’ve written the recipe for tenderloin, so you use that, it’s quicker and easier than dealing with a rib roast. 

#2 – I only made half of the onion and fig mixture, since there are only two of us. 

#3 – Something is set wrong on my camera, so all the indoor pictures turned out with a nasty yellow hue. I tried to correct the problem in Photoshop, but the color isn’t quite right, sorry about that. You’ll just have to imagine better color.

The good news is that the birds and I ate well and enjoyed our figs.  If you live nearby, give me a shout, and you can have all the Kadota figs you want… before the birds eat them all.

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Flavored vodkas are easily found in every liquor store and are even easier to make at home.  All you need are fruits, herbs, and/or vegetables of your choice – plus some high-quality vodka… oh, and about 7 to 10 days (with the exception of the jalapeno vodka, which will be ready in 3 to 5 days).  I’ll be making four different flavors today and will follow up at the end of the month with a cocktail for each flavor.  So if you want to join me, run out and buy the ingredients today and we’ll toast each other in about a week!

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Just in case you missed Valley Dish and the seriously awesome dish we made, here is the LINK… and the recipe for the dish will be posted in the next couple of days… it’s so good!!!

If I’ve ever led you to believe that mistakes aren’t made here at Les Petites Gourmettes Cooking School, please forgive me. Although not necessarily every day, certainly at least every other day!  Eggs are cracked, not into the bowl as intended, but rather onto the floor. Flour has been thought to be powdered sugar when making frosting… easy to fix, just start over. Things burn, they are undercooked or overcooked, you get the idea.  Most are minor and easily repaired or corrected… while others… not so much.

Let’s see, there was a time a couple of years ago when a pair of young boys added 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper to a pot of chili, instead of 1/4 teaspoon. That went directly into the trash. Thankfully, that’s actually rare, when something ends up in the garbage, although I was certain it was going to happen again last week…

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If you’re feeling that it’s too hot to turn on the stove or even worse, the oven, then it’s time for summer rolls; also known as Vietnamese salad rolls or spring rolls.

Now, due to my lack of time to explain it myself,  (I have the teen class graduation lunch today, hosting not only the students themselves but additionally two guests for each student) I turn to trusty Wikipedia to define spring or summer rolls.

“Vietnamese spring roll  – ingredients include slivers of boiled or fried pork, shrimp, chicken, beef, fresh herbs, lettuce, sometimes fresh garlic chives, rice vermicelli, or bean threads, all wrapped in moistened rice paper, served cold with dipping sauce. The salad roll is easily distinguished from a “minced pork roll” by the fact that it is not fried, the ingredients used are different. Spring roll refers to the freshness of the spring season with all the fresh ingredients, therefore frying would take away that feeling.”

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There is no better time to make fresh tomato soup than right now, the height of tomato season.

So even if you’re not growing tomatoes in your own garden, get out to your local farmer’s market and pick up some ripe locally grown tomatoes and throw together this soup, enjoy hot, cold, or at room temperature.

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Here is the recipe I made yesterday on the Valley Dish, especially for Memorial Day weekend. (And here is the LINK if you would like to watch it online.) 

PLEASE don’t be scared off by the long laundry list of ingredients. There are six different condiments/toppings for your sliders, and each one is very easy to make, you can do as many or as few as you like.  Seriously, when I say easy, I’m talking about slicing a couple of tomatoes, drizzling them with olive oil, and sprinkling them with salt and chives, that’s easy! Or laying slices of bacon on foil, sprinkling with rosemary and pepper, and tossing in the oven, super easy! And I guarantee your family and friends will be impressed, Enjoy!

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If you have recently eaten out at chef-driven independent restaurants, instead of chains, then you already know that it is squash blossom season. Every chef I know in this town has them on his/her menu, and luckily for me, Barbara Fenzl was at an event a couple of nights ago where Duncan Family Farms had a whole extra case of squash blossoms. He gave them to Barb and she in turn gave some of the bounties to me. Thank you, dear friend!

Summer squash is one thing I don’t plant in my small garden. It would just overtake the entire space and I’d be “one of those people”.  You know who I’m talking about, akin to the homeless person on the street, peddling my cart around and begging people. Not begging for your spare change, begging you to take some of this squash off my hands, “Please sir, please take some of this damned squash before it goes bad!”  So if nothing else, plucking the blossoms during their brief blooming window is a hugely effective form of squash birth control.

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Tomorrow is going to be a busy day for yours truly. First off, my sister and niece, Sloane and Raina, along with Marissa and I, are going to get up at the crack of dawn and drive to Tempe to participate in Pat’s Run. Pat’s Run honors American Hero, Pat Tillman and benefits The Pat Tillman Foundation which raises funds benefiting Tillman Military Scholars. If you don’t already know Pat Tillman’s story, you really need to learn about him!

After the run, (in all honesty, we are walking, but walking fast!) Marissa and I will race home, pack up, and get ourselves to Berridge Nurseries on Camelback and 46th Streets for the Art in the Garden event that I will be cooking at, beginning at noon.  This is the recipe I’ll be making, I realize it may look a bit intimidating with 25+ ingredients, but the majority of those are vegetables, herbs, and olive oil, so give it a whirl. I hope you’ll stop by the event and say “hello”.

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It’s no secret – I love potatoes. This is a light, flavor-packed, and healthy potato side that is easy enough for a weeknight and fancy enough for company.

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